A Dorchester school has added 'knob throwing' to its curriculum after the popular festival was cancelled.

The Prince of Wales School will be teaching the 'sport' to children after it was announced the popular Dorset Knob Throwing and Frome Valley Food Festival was cancelled.

Dorset Knob throwing contests traditionally involves competitors hurling a Dorset knob - a hard biscuit - as far as they can. The record throw of 29.4 metres (96ft) was set in 2012.

Speaking about the new initiative, headteacher Gary Spracklen said: "The Dorset Knob biscuit is part of our local cultural heritage. It's something to be celebrated and each year many of our children enjoy attending the Dorset Knob Throwing Festival.

"With the festival cancelled for the third year in a row, we don't want our children to miss out. That's why we will be bringing Dorset Knob throwing to the curriculum and hosting our very own Dorset Knob throwing event for families here at The Prince of Wales School."

On hearing the news, Year 4 pupil Charlotte said: "We love everything about Dorset here at The Prince of Wales School. In our lessons we already learn about the international significance of the Jurassic Coast, the life and work of Thomas Hardy and we become national experts on one of the most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe, Maiden Castle.

"Our new work on the Dorset Knob biscuit will build on our knowledge and appreciation of all things Dorset.

"Me and my friends are very confident that we will be better than our teachers and parents at Dorset Knob throwing. We are going to get practising in our PE lessons and do our very best to set some new world records."

Asked if other schools could get involved, Mr Spracklen said: "It would be great to see other schools locally embracing the Dorset Knob and hosting their own throwing events. Perhaps we could set up a Dorset Knob throwing schools league with home and away fixtures. I'd love to hear from any schools that would like to get involved."

The background of the Dorset Knob

The Dorset Knob started life sometime before 1860 when the Moores family began baking in West Dorset, according to a Moores biscuit maker.

After the day's bread baking was finished, it was the custom to make Dorset Knobs by adding butter and sugar to the leftover dough and hand rolling them in to small buttons. They were then baked in the drying heat of the bread oven to dry them out like rusks.

The Dorset Knob was originally named after hand-sewn Dorset Knob buttons that were still being made in the last revival of the once thriving cottage industry.

Knob throwing rules

• Three Dorset Knobs per go, furthest knob thrown is measured

• Standing throw from a marked standing point

• One foot must remain on the ground during throwing

• The Dorset Knob is measured at its final resting place